2019 Signing Day Focus: Bemidji State

Brian Jerzak February 22, 2019 @ 12:33 AM

The Bemidji State Beavers are coming off a 7-4 season in 2018. They tied for 3rd in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's North Division. They went into recruiting season knowing they needed to increase their numbers up front and they did just that – bringing 35 new recruits to the northern Minnesota school. The Beavers did it by getting kids to their camps and pursuing kids that match the attitude of the program. "We thought we did a good job recruiting this class," Bemidji State head coach Brent Bolte said. "We hit the areas that we knew we were going to need numbers. Certainly, offensive line was a spot we were getting to the point where we were going to have some guys leaving the program in the next couple of years, so we added five or six new guys there. We went heavy into defensive backs too. We feel that we always need to increase our depth so we can run some different packages." Obviously, the Beavers are going to recruit heavily in the northern part of the state, but they had a lot of success down south too. "You are always going to have talent coming out of the metro area," Bolte said. "We got more guys from the metro than the northern part of the state, but we are always going to recruit upstate heavily." The Beavers' staff focused on guys with a certain mentality. "I think we do a good job of identifying guys that fit our program and fit the culture we have created up here," Bolte said. "I am a blue-collar kind of guy, and we are going to play a nasty brand of football. We sell that to everybody, so they know what they are getting into. We try to get good kids who fit the system, and that has kept our turnover rate low in the last few years." When it came to offseason camps – especially with this class – the camps were essential for the Bemidji State coaching staff. "We try to get guys to our camps so we can get our eyes on guys," Bolte explained. "Everyone in this signing class we either had at a camp here, or we got to work with them at someone else's camp. The spring and the summer are big indicators. They give us a chance to get eyes on guys and see if they are a good fit for our culture." When the kids get on campus, the coaches attempt to highlight many aspects of the school and the region. "The outdoor, recreational stuff sells itself," Bolte explained. "I think our coaches are a huge selling point too. I think the family type bonds we are able to create with the kids and the coaches. We keep in fun up here. We work extremely hard, and I think kids enjoy that. The coaches are pretty black and white about what the expectations are, and I think kids like that." Bolte is a fan of the dual signing days that the NCAA started a couple of years ago. "It has been great," Bolte told northstarfootballnews.com. "We were basically done recruiting shortly after the early signing period. It is helpful because these kids understand where they are at with the Division I schools." Bolte would like most of the guys in this class not to have to suit up on game day their freshman year. "In a perfect world, we would redshirt as many guys as we can. We rarely play offensive or defensive linemen in year one. There are going to be injuries and things that pop up, but in a perfect world, you shouldn't be playing a true freshman unless they have that God-given talent that just separates them from somebody. Sometimes that happens – sometimes they are so good you feel like you have to have them on the field." The 2019 class put together by the Bemidji State staff included many of the types of players they needed and got them in the positions they needed. "We are excited," Bolte concluded. "We felt like we were able to get most of the Minnesota kids that we identified. The o-line and defensive back were areas we focused on. Overall, we are happy. The class fits the needs and filled the holes we have."